Church hits back at Age Concern

Loaded 'Debate of the Age' pushes for euthanasia and attacks Christianity
By Simon Caldwell
A HUGE national campaign to legalise euthanasia on demand has been condemned this week by the Catholic and Anglican Churches.
The Millennium Debate of the Age, co-ordinated by Age Concern England over the last two years, was criticised by the Catholic Agency for ops' Conference of England and Wales.
The Debate is a consultation exercise aimed at twothirds of the nation and which, in its "facilitating" document, Values and Attitudes in an Ageing Society, demands euthanasia on the grounds of individual conscience and personal autonomy. It also bitterly attacks and. misrepresents Christianity.
The final "debates" took place this week and concluded at an event in Greenwich, London, which was attended by about 1,000 people. An "Agenda for the Age" — policy proposals which include living wills and legal euthanasia — will be presented by Age Concern to the Government in the spring.
But Anne Forbes, the Catholic Agency for Social Concern director, joined Anglican Bishop Christopher Herbert of St Albans, both of whom took part in the Debate, in criticising the call for euthanasia, saying it should be dropped from the final recommendations.
Ms Forbes said: "I would fully support the reservations expressed by the bishop, who said his disagreement was `based on an understanding of the relationship between individuals and society which does not necessarily or always give the highest moral autonomy to the individual'.
"In the case of euthanasia, personal autonomy and freedom of choice conflict with the common good of society." In June, The Catholic Herald exposed the manipulation of the Debate by Age Concern England (ACE), the campaigning arm of the charity which acts independently of local groups, to deliberately promote euthanasia, though organisers insist none of the proposals represent However, panels at public debates were loaded with people who favour euthanasia; the Voluntary Euthanasia Society continually briefed "citizens' juries"; direct interference occurred in the drafting of documents; and members of key committees were carefully selected by ACE.
One of the members was Prof Justine Burley who, at a debate in Islington on Monday, said: "We believe individuals should in appropriate circumstances of appropriate regulation be able to decide themselves how their life should end.
"The idea of right to selfdetermination at the end of life is no more logically distinct from our moral view that we should have free choice in all matters of